Cues Associated with Alternative Reinforcement During Extinction Can Attenuate Resurgence of an Extinguished Instrumental Response

In resurgence, a target behavior (R1) is acquired in an initial phase and extinguished in a second phase while an R2 behavior is reinforced. When R2 is extinguished, R1 behavior can return or resurge. Two experiments tested the effectiveness of a potential retrieval cue associated with extinction in attenuating resurgence. Experiment 1 established that a 2-s cue paired with outcome delivery in Phase 2 can attenuate resurgence when presented...